What is Love?
by Darkl26139
Summary: A short story glimpsing Cameron exploring love. If you like it, please let me know.
1. Chapter 1

**What is love?**

"You are too close to that thing! Have you forgotten that she tried to kill you! What the hell were you thinking! It is not right John! Sarah screams at her son. She shouldn't be surprised that it happened but she sure is heck is not happy about it. 'He needs to remember she is just a machine. A weapon.' races thru her mind.

"What do you expect me to do! I can't have friends much less a girlfriend! Riley still won't go near me! Cameron is the only one who is there for me!" John shouts back. He doesn't understand why is mom won't let him be human for five minutes.

"You were kissing her/it, John. From the look of things, you were planning on doing more than that to her." Sarah exclaims.

"She wanted me to kiss her. She loves me!" John declares. He remembers waking up to Cameron staring at him. Her body so close and so warm. Before he can ask her what she is doing there, she leaned over and kissed him. Her lips were warm and soft, no hint of the metal underneath. Her kiss felt so good. It was nothing like kissing Riley. When Cameron broke the kiss and said "John, I love you. Please love me.", what was he supposed to do? He is a teenage boy after all. Besides he really does have feelings for Cameron. He has tried to fight them but he knows she is the only woman he can allow himself to love. She is the only one able to survive what is coming not to mention the day to day dangers.

He threw himself into his relationship with Riley more to defy his mother than anything else. After Mexico he can't blame her for staying away from him. Cameron, on the other hand, will always be with him. The least he can do for her is to love her. He thought is mother would have understood. She wanted that other terminator to be his father. Admitingly catching him making out with Cameron was probably not the best way to inform her.

"It's her job to make you happy! She is just doing what she is programmed to! She can't love you or anyone!" Sarah shouts. She knows she needs to stop this argument but she just can't. All her worry and stress are pouring out of her. 'How dare he betray everything they are fighting for by loving a machine' she thinks.

Cameron moves father from the house so she can no longer hear the argument. She knows she should stay and watch the perimeter but Reese is there. He will watch their backs. Besides the whole argument is about her so her presence would only prolong the fight. She decides to walk to the mall.

She finds it comforting to go, sit and watch the humans. She has learned a lot about them this way but so much is still a mystery. Even her own actions confuse her. She still can't understand why she did and said what she did with John. Her programming told her relieving his sexual tension would lower his stress level and increase his loyalty to her. If she was just doing as designed then why does she feel guilty about those thoughts. Why did she dislike Riley? Why did she still help hide John seeing Riley from Sarah? Neither item makes sense to the cold logic part of her processor. The new upgrade however explains that this is what love is. It continues with 'Love is all about illogic' which Cameron finds not the least bit helpful.


	2. Chapter 2

Part II

While she sits on a mall bench, an elderly woman comes along and sits down beside her. The woman exchanges a wordless greeting with Cameron. For several minutes they just sit and watch the people go by. Eventually, the old woman asks "What is his name?"

Confused, Cameron replies "What do you mean?"

"The one who holds your heart. I was a young once. I remember that look. Some young man has your heart and you're not sure what he is going to do with it." the old woman explains.

"John, his name is John." Cameron replies.

"John is a nice name. Strong name." the woman comments.

"I have always liked it." Cameron replies.

"So what happened to cause you to be here?" the old woman inquires.

"Well, I told him I loved him today. At first everything was (pauses while processing) good but then his mom came in. She was not happy to see us kissing. They started fighting. Not knowing what to do, I came here." Cameron replies.

"Oh. Big day indeed then. You know my parents never liked my husband. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks if he makes you happy and you make him happy that is all that matters." explains the nice old woman.

"So it is not wrong for him to love me?" Cameron asks

"Heavens no dear! Love doesn't care about skin color, religion, or anything else. It finds you and pulls you together in spite of all that stuff. You should embrace it." the nice old woman reassures her.

"What should I do?" Cameron asks

"Well, if the trouble is with his mother, you should go to her. Reassure her you won't ever hurt her boy. Mothers can't but help to worry about their children. It is just the way it is. I am certain you would make a wonderful daughter in-law and if she can't see that it is her loss." says the nice old woman.

"So I should fight for him?" Cameron asks

"Hard as you can dear" the nice old woman replies.

"Thank you" Cameron says as she gets up and runs back home.

"Good luck, dear." the nice old woman calls after her.

Not caring that she exposing her cover by running faster than a human can, she rushes back to the house. When she gets there she sees Sarah standing outside. She is clearly still upset as demonstrated by her savagely kicking a helpless trash can.

Sarah looks up sensing Cameron's approach. She picks up the shotgun she always keeps by her side and cocks it. Cameron can see Sarah is debating whether to just shot her.

Stopping a short distance from Sarah, Cameron takes a strong stance with her legs spread. She is using her body language to reinforce the fact she is no weakling. Defiantly, she says "I love John and I am here to fight for him"

Sarah replies by raising her shotgun in firing position. She cocks it again for effect.

"I know I am a machine and he is human. I know we shouldn't be together. I know feelings for each other interferes with my purpose. But what you saw John and I doing wasn't part of my programming. I too wanted to believe I was just running my "relieve his tension thru sexual encounter subroutine" but that is not what happened. I love him! Even if I wished I didn't." Cameron says fiercely.

Stunned by the intensity and (as much as she hates to admit it) sincerity of Cameron's words, Sarah has to pause. She expected her battle with John but she did not expect Cameron to fight her too. Her mind reels at the possibilities this opens up. She forces herself to take a mental step back and really look at Cameron. Sarah only had one day with the man she loves but the intensity of those feelings have never left her. She sees those same feelings in the most unlikely place, a machine. Cameron really does love her son. She lowers the shotgun. "If you hurt him, I will kill you" is all she says.

"Agreed" is Cameron's reply. She then walks past Sarah and into the house. She shoves open John's door.


End file.
